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At Cleveland Browns' FirstEnergy Stadium, a sampling of some of what's new at food stations

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Charlene Patacca of Willoughby scoops up an order of Dawg Pound Tots at the newest chef-driven food stand at FirstEnergy Stadium's Club Level, Chris Hodgson's Hodge Podge. Elements of the food truck that landed Hodgson on two Food Network reality series are integrated into the stand's design.
(Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, OHIO -- While the Browns eventually fell in defeat to the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon, I watched most of the game on flat-screen TVs. At FirstEnergy Stadium.

Why? In the "It's a Tough Job But..." category, I pulled the lucky card and got to sample some of the new food introductions on the stadium's Concourse and Club levels concession stands.

Much of it was good. A few clunkers fell hard.

But before any reviews, let's get one critical assessment out of the way: eating here is anything but cheap.

Of course, the same holds true for The Q, Progressive Field and just about any entertainment venue. Only a fool fails to miss the irony of a $4.50 bag of peanuts. So when we get to the prices, please hold your hissing for someone who doesn't experience the same sticker shock as you do.

Wander through the concrete canyon that makes up the stadium's main concourse, and there's a never-ending supply of familiar options -- this year, with a few upgrades.

-- This season, two-ounce and quarter-pound Nathan's Famous hot dogs have replaced other brands. At the Browns Bistro stand, the mild dogs run $4.75, while a Super Dog Basket (the 1/4-pound hot dog, with fries) is $9.75.

-- Pinzone's Market Fresh Meats' Sausages(the business itself is located at West Side Market, Stand E-6, and Pinzone's also operate a shop at 6046 Broadview Road in Parma) offers mildly spicy and sizzling hot sausage sandwiches. Sandwiches are priced at around $9.

-- I liked the light, crispy shell and ample fillings in the Fusion Roll ($7.50) made by Southern Fusion restaurant in Euclid and sold at First Down Favorites stand at the stadium. There's lots of "stuff" in it: collard greens, black beans and corn, plus chicken, bell peppers and asiago cheese. The flavor of asiago almost dominates, but the other ingredients assert themselves. If you don't count the frying, it leans towards the "healthy" side. It's somewhat small for the price, though, and the promised Chipotle Dipping Sauce wasn't available.

Upstairs on the City View Club Level, it's a fairly different world -- carpeted, quieter (though definitely bustling, especially pre-game and at halftime) and with far better views. Also: dressier, though still mostly casual, chow.

If hot dogs are standard manna for game-goers, at Hodge Podge Dogs, PBLT's & Tots they're taken to a whole other level -- somewhere between artful and crazy-good.

The PBLT stands for Pork, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato ($10) all encasing a 4-ounce Certified Angus Beef hot dog set in a fresh Orlando Bakery potato bun. It's a masterpiece of excess, huge and very tasty, but unless you're a big eater or own stock in Prilosec, it's easily (if messily) shared.

There's plenty going on in that bun, right down to a load of smashed tater tots, on the Hodge Podge Dog on the Club level at FirstEnergy Stadium.Courtesy, Aramark

I liked the Hodge Podge Dog even more. Again, smoked pork in a Sriracha and honey glaze tops a CAB hot dog, but extra-spicy jalapeno slaw lends additional firepower -- offset by a lashing of smashed Tater Tots and bites of chopped green onion on top. If you're XXXL on fiery flavors, you may want to got for the aptly named Burning River Dog, with that same jalapeno slaw, shredded pepper jack cheese, Sriracha aioli and (oh, what they hey...) hot cherry pepper relish. Each big sandwich is $8.

Tater Tots and chili are the other big hits at Hodge Podge. Tots straight-up (with house Yum Yum sauce) are $4.75, and they're a fun snack to share. If you're hungry and want a carbo-heavy chow, spring for the $6.50 Dawg Pound Tots, loaded with Smokehouse Chili, pepper jack cheese, hot cherry peppers and green onions. That chili leans heavily on smokiness (thus the "smokehouse" moniker), and moderately spicy fire ($6.50; the Man Bowl is $9). While I didn't love it on balmy game day, check back with me when the flurries start to fly.

In addition to a pair of fresh salads and a selection of meatball options (bowls, $6.50, sandwiches, $9), this season chef Rocco Whalen introduces Rocco's Supreme Pizza at his Rosie & Rocco's stand. It's a big slice of very crisp thin-crust pizza with a smear of sauce, a decent veneer of cheese topped with sandwich-sliced pepperoni, sausage crumbles, slices of tiny sweet peppers and bites of banana peppers and halved cherry tomatoes. At $7.50 it's one of the most satisfying moderately priced items in the place.

On a couple of occasions at Michael Symon's B-Spot restaurants, I've enjoyed his Thin Lizzy burger, with cheddar cheese and loaded with griddled onions ($9.75). The one I had here was dense and tough, and tepid. (Ironically, my brother and nephew, who happened to be seated on the Lakeview Club level, later off-handedly reported the identical experience.) The rosemary-laced Lola Fries ($4.75), happily, were spot on. I'm not a huge bacon-in-everything guy, but the Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon shake ($7) was a lot of fun, quirky and tasty.

Carbonara Frites at Sawyer's Street Frites, sold on the Club level at FirstEnergy Stadium.Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer

I didn't expect to like the Carbonara Frites ($10) at Sawyer's Street Frites. First off, I like my fries straight-up, and I think Greenhouse Tavern owner Jonathon Sawyer does a solid job with his traditional frites ($8). Besides, the idea of a super-rich cheese sauce along with fried potatoes strikes me as serious overkill -- then again, who'd thunk that "Gravy Fries" would be such a hit? Except, first the Carbonara Frites were seductive, then addictive, right down to the savory pancetta chunks scattered over the fries.

This season, Sawyer has introduced Confit Peach Chicken Wings ($13.75). The wings are first confited, slowly cooked then cooled in oil, then later flash-fried to crisp them They're doused with seriously hot Sriracha sauce, its flavor belying a sweet hint of summer tree fruit sweetness. As to the degree of heat, the jury remains out: I found them moderately hot and flavorful, but a fellow sampler could barely utter the word "wow!" You may want to share an order to sample. You'll definitely want to order a beer.

Speaking of that, one overall observation about the food from the Club level stations. Almost across the board, everything ranged from salty to very salty. If you're sodium-sensitive or averse, be aware.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why so many nine-buck-plus beers are purchased...

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